Important Terms
achievement chart1.A standard, province-wide guide to be used by teachers to make judgements about student work based on clear performance standards.

assessment1.The process of gathering, froma variety of sources, information that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculumexpectations in a subject or course.

assessment as learning1.The process of developing and supporting student metacognition. Students are actively engaged in this assessment process: thatis, they monitor their own learning; use assessment feedback fromteacher, self, and peers to determine next steps; and set individual learning goals. Assessment as learning requires students to have a clear understanding of the learning goals andthe success criteria. Assessment as learning focuses on the role of the student as the critical connector between assessment and learning.

assessmentfor learning1.The ongoing process of gathering and interpreting evidenceabout student learning for the purpose ofdetermining where students arein their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. The information gathered is used by teachers to provide feedback and adjust instruction and by students to focus their learning. Assessment for learning is a high-yield instructional strategy that takes place while the student is still learning and serves to promote learning.

assessmentof learning1.The process of collecting and interpreting evidence for the purpose of summarizing learning at a given point in time, tomake judgements about the quality of student learning on the basis of established criteria, and to assign a value to represent that quality. The information gathered may be used to communicate the student’s achievement to parents, other teachers, students themselves, and others. It occurs at or near the end of a cycle of learning.

learning goals. Brief statements that describe for a student what heor she should know and do with respect to a mathematical concept. These should be based on mathematical process and content curriculum expectations, and connected to a big idea or more fundamental essential understanding.
Learning goals should be expressed in language that students understand.
Sometimes it may be appropriate to reveal the learning goal at the outset of the learning and other times it may be appropriate to reveal the learning goal towards the end of the learning experience.

success criteria. Descriptions of successful attainment oflearning goals (i.e. ‘look fors’ for successful learning) developed by teachers thatfocus on important mathematics.
Success criteria reflect the learning goal which is based on mathematical process and content expectations and draws on significant traits or characteristics identified in the achievement chart, e.g. the use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes the conveying of meaning through various forms.

1OntarioMinistryofEducation (2010).GrowingSuccess:Assessment,EvaluationandReporting inOntarioSchools (p.143)